Comedian Conan O'Brien, who will be hosting the upcoming 97th Academy Awards for the first time, opened up in an interview with People about coping with the recent loss of parents and the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires. The comedian was attending the premiere of his film If I Had Legs I'd Kick You at the Sundance Film Festival when he shared his thoughts.
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One Day at a Time
Conan O'Brien lost both his parents in December: they died just days apart. His father, Dr Thomas O’Brien, passed away at 95 on 9 December, and his mother died at 92 on 12 December.
"It has been a lot happening in a very short time, and there's a lot that happened in my personal life starting in December that was intense, and then going into this month with the fires and prep for what's coming up," O’Brien shared.
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The LA Wildfires
Although the comedian's house was spared from destruction, he acknowledged that many others have not been as fortunate and are still dealing with the loss of their homes. O'Brien emphasised the importance of empathy during such challenging times.
"It's the time to be asking other people how they're doing, listening to them."
He went on to note that events like film premieres and award shows can seem frivolous and trivial. "But they're also important at the same time because we keep going," he continued.
"We keep going. We keep making stuff."
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The Upcoming Academy Awards
O'Brien also revealed he and his team of writers and producers will be mindful of the losses caused by the fires and hope to shine a spotlight on the issue.
The 97th Oscars will air live on Sunday, 2 March, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
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